DAVID WHEATER is taking his return to the top of English football one step at a time.

It’s been a sobering few months for the Redcar Rock, who exploded onto the football scene in an avalanche of rave reviews.

The hype arguably peaked two years ago this month when Wheater celebrated three significant milestones.

Within days of blowing the candles out on his 21st birthday cake, the Teesside-born defender signed a long-term Boro contract and won an England call-up.

All seemed to be going well until the team’s form took a downturn in the winter of 2008, a dip which culminated in relegation.

It was a shattering blow for the dyed-in-the-wool Teessider, who started the Championship campaign well but then lost his regular partner when Robert Huth was sold to Stoke at the end of August.

The upheaval and a seemingly endless succession of central defensive sidekicks took its toll, but now Wheater’s showing every sign of getting back on track.

He’s forming a solid partnership with January signing Stephen McManus and also linked up well with fellow Teessider Jonathan Grounds.

Wheater, who was 23 on Valentine’s Day, admits the publicity that greeted his breakthrough came as a surprise.

“Maybe yes, there was a lot going on at the time, a lot to deal with,” he told the Gazette.

“There’s interviews you have to do that you’ve never done before, just walking around town you get people looking at you, which you’re not used to, but young players have to go through that if they want to make it in their careers.

“If you do go on and achieve bigger things, you’ll have to do more interviews, more people will be looking at you so you have to get used to it.”

Wheater discovered just how harsh the glare of publicity can be when things aren’t going so well, but he has the self belief required to battle through the hard times.

“Once you have a good spell, people have such high expectations of you,” he said, “but it can turn around so easily, so you have to keep playing and believing in your own game.

“You have to be confident that you are a good enough player to play for Middlesbrough and as long as the manager picks me I’m still happy to play.

“I know I’m doing okay if I keep getting picked. I’ve got a good partner in Stephen (McManus), he’s a good talker, a good leader, he’s what I need so hopefully I can keep doing well.”

Wheater won’t hear of England talk now, preferring to concentrate on helping his beloved Boro win promotion. Only with that aim achieved will he turn his thoughts to the national team.

“My only aim at the moment is to get Middlesbrough back in the Premier League,” he said. “Obviously I’m not going to the World Cup. I think I can play for England one day but I’ve played over 100 games for Boro’s first team and for a defender I think that’s quite good.

“I just need to play for Middlesbrough, keep playing well, get back in the Premier League and hopefully think about England again.”